Relay



Oct. 20, 1936. c. D. LAKE ET AL RELAY 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 1,1936 T ATTDORNEY Oct. 20, 1936. c.. D. LAKE ET AL 2,057,686

RELAY Filed June 1, 1936 s Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.3.

FIG. 2.

FIG-'4. 16

A TORNEY Oct. 20, 1936. c, LAKE E 2,057,686

RELAY Filed June 1, 1936 5 Sheets-$heet 3 FIG. 5. 22

122512923 f a 3M ATTORNEY Oct. 20, 1936.

c. D. LAKE ET AL 2,057,686

RELAY Filed June 1', 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG] CLU CH av s PICKS UPaka/ 5 007' GENE W1 NUT/0N AILTORNEY Oct. 20, 1936. c. o. LAKE ET ALRELAY Filed June 1, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet s MWEEZZ BY AW- 2 171,0

v a I. I

ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 20, 1936 y v UNITED STATES LAY Clair D. Lake,Binghamton, and Francis E. Hamilton, Endicott, N. Y., assignors toInternational Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., acorporation of New York Application June 1, 1936, Serial No. 82,910

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a circuit changing mechanism and moreparticularly to a. power driven mechanism for automatically effectingthe shifting of circuit connections in a rapid and pos itive manner.

The invention consists in providing a rotatable contact brush structureadapted to be advanced step by step so that the brushes contact withfixed. commutator segments to make and break circuit connections as thebrush structure is rotated. The mechanism for rotating the structurecomprises a clutch driving member, which, by means of a modified form ofGeneva mechanism, moves with an intermittent motion. Electromagneticallycontrolled mechanism effects a clutching action between the brushstructure and the drivin mechanism whereupon the brush is coupled to thedriving mechanism and rotates therewith in accordance with the motionimparted by the Geneva drive. Associatedwith the brush structure is ade-clutching arrangement to effect de-clutching of the parts after thebrush structure has advanced a step.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be obviousfrom the following particular description of one form of mechanismembodying the invention or from an inspection of the accompanying.drawings; and the invention also constitutes certain new and usefulfeatures of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth.and claimed.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view showing the general arrangement of the circuit changingmechanism and the Geneva drive thereto.

Fig. 2 is a section taken along lines 22 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 represent examples of circuit connections which may becontrolled by the device.

Fig. 5 is a view looking in the direction of the lines 55.of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a view taken along lines 6-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the timing of certain parts of themechanism. I

Fig. 8 is a view showing a modified form of contact brush structure.

Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view of structure shown in Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a view in isometric of one of the separate brushes shown inFig. 3.

' Figs. 11, l2,'and 13 show the clutching mechanism in various operativepositions.

the brush Referring to Fig. 1, l0 represents a driving shaft which maybe in constant rotation and which carries a double-armed member I I withcam rollers l2 on opposite ends thereof. Below shaft i0 is a shaft l3which has secured thereto the Gel6 of member ll. Each of the slots I5 isconfigured at its outer end to permit a slight .dwell of member I 4after roller 12 has entered the slot. This is brought about by makingthe ends of the slots concentric with the shaft II). In Fig. '7 is shownthe timing of the Geneva drive for one complete revolution of shaft III.In this figure it is seen that there is a nine degree dwell after thefirst roller I2 enters the slot, after which the member I4 is given aquarter turn during thirty-six degrees motion of shaft 10 and the drivenpart then rests until the second roller cooperates wtih the next slot 15and causes a repetition of the movement.

Mounted on shaft I3 is a gear I! which drives a gear I8 secured to across shaft I!) (see also Fig. 5). The ratio between gears l1 and I8 is1:2 A so that for each quarter turn, shaft I 9 makes a movement ofthirty-six degrees, or a tenth of a revolution. Shaft I!) has securedalong its length the gears 2|! which serve to drive the circuit changingdevices in unison and as many gears 20 are provided as there are devicesto be driven.

Each circuit changing device comprises a plate 2| slidable in suitablegrooves in the frame structure 22, as shown, and may be locked inposition as by strips 23 (Fig. 1). Pivoted to each plate 2| is a gear 24(see also Fig. 2) which, when the plate is slid horizontally into thegrooved frame 22,- will mesh with the driving gear 20 on shaft l9. Byremoving the strips 23 the entire plate 2| may be removed with facility.Each plate 2! carries two separate and independent sets of circuitshifting brushes and commutators, and their dual mounting is for thepurpose of convenience. In Fig. 1, the upper part of the plate shows thebrush and commutator arrangement of the upper device and in the lowerpart of the plate the brush and commutator are removed to show some ofthe clutch mechanism in the rear.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 11, the gear 24 meshes with a gear 25 whichhas integral therewith a driving ratchet 26 with a suitable ball bearingmounting on a stud 21. From the above descriptidn of the Geneva drive itwill be seen that the gear 25 and ratchet 26 are moved a tenth of arevolution for each engagement of a roller I2 with a slot l5 and theresulting intermittent motion will effect a step-by-step advance of theratchet.

Also mounted on stud 21 and supported on a ball bearing is a collar 28which has rigidly secured thereto a notched disk 29. The collar 28 alsocarries a ratchet 30 which is mounted for rotation upon the collar.

The disk 29 carries a clutch pawl 3i which is pivoted to the disk at 32.As viewed in Figs. 2 and 6, the pawl 3| lies in the plane of drivingratchet 26. The ratchet 30 lies between the pawl 3| and its supportingdisk 29. The ratchet 30 is provided with an opening 33 through which thespacing sleeve 34 and its supporting pin extend. A spring 35, connectedto the upper end of the pawl 3|, has connection with a pin 36 carried bythe disk 29. This pin also extends through a suitable opening in theratchet 30.

Secured on pawl 3| is a pin 31 which engages a camming surface 38 in theratchet 30. The nor-- mal relationship of the parts is shown in Fig. 11where the pawl 3| is held out of engagement with the ratchet 26 due tothe action of camming surface 38 against the pin 31. If the ratchet 30is permitted to move counterclockwise with respect to the pivot point ofpawl 3|, the camming surface 38 will move away from the pin 31 and willpermit the spring 35 of the pawl to rock the latter into engagement withthe ratchet 26 so that the parts assume the positions shown in Fig. 12.

The disk 29 is normally held by a detenting arm 39 whose free end isurged by spring 40 into engagement with the notched periphery of thedisk. With the disk 29 thus restrained againstmovement, the tension ofspring 35 tends to cause the pin 31 to act against the camming surface38 and urge the ratchet 3|] in a counterclockwise direction.

The ratchet 30 is provided with teeth 30a which may be engaged by alatching arm 4| pivoted at 42 (see Fig. 1) and urged in acounterclockwise direction by spring 43. If the arm 4| is rockedclockwise so that its free end is raised out of engagement with thetooth 30a, the ratchet 30 may then rock counterclockwise to permit thepawl 3| to move from the position of Fig. 11 to that of Fig. 12, therebyengaging the driving ratchet 25, and the disk 29 will accordingly beadvanced until the pawl is again disengaged from the driving ratchet.This disengagement is brought about by lowering the arm 4| into the pathof one of the teeth 30a, thus holding the ratchet 30 and causing itscamming. surface 38 to cam the pawl 3| out of engagement with thedriving ratchet.

The initial clockwise rocking of arm 4| is controlled by a pair ofmagnets 44 whose armature 45 is integral with the arm 4| so thatenergization of the magnets will effect clockwise rocking of the arm.counterclockwise rocking of the arm is brought about by an extension 46of an arm 41, which arm is co-extensive with the detenting arm 39. Thus,after clutching has been effected and disk 29 rotates, the notchedperiphery will cause counterclockwise rocking of arms 38, 41 and theextension 45 will accordingly insure the counterclockwise rocking of arm4| into position to engage the next following tooth 30a of the ratchet30. This position of the parts is shown in Fig. 13 where the disk isshown after it has been moved a twentieth of a revolution or eighteendegrees from its starting position.

Referring to Fig. 2, the stud 21 has rotatably mounted thereon a sleeve48 which carries a contact brush holder 49 provided with pins 50 whichextend into suitable openings in the disk 29, whereby the brush holderand sleeve are rotated with the disk. The holder 49 is provided with tenslots 50a parallel to the axis of the holder into each of which a brushholder 5|a may be inserted and locked into position by a nut 52. Thebrushes are configured as shown in Fig. 1 and cooperate with commutatorsegments 53 molded in a supporting block 54. The segments extend outsideof the holder as shown at 55, from which point suitable wire or cableconnection may be made to binding posts 56. In Fig. 2, the

Fig. 13.

segment 53, another of the brushes on the same holder is in contact withthe insulating portion between segments. This modified form of contactbrush is shown in isometric in Fig. 10 where two brushes are of adifferent length than the other two. It will be understood, of course,that with this type of brush, four commutator segments 54 are provided,as indicated 1n Fig. 9.

Referring now to Fig. 11,'in the normal positions of the parts when thedriving ratchet Z6 is at rest, the driving tooth of pawl 3| lieseighteen degrees ahead of the next tooth of ratchet 26 so that when thepawl is tripped into engagement with the ratchet as shown in Fig. 12,the pawl and its supporting disk 29 will not be rotated until theratchet has moved through the eighteen degree period of lag.

Since, as explained above, the Geneva mechanism only drives the ratchetthrough thirty-six degrees, the net effective movement of the pawl 3|will only be eighteen degrees. This is the amount of movement necessaryto move the brush 51 from the position of Figs. 11 and 12 to that of Inmoving to this position, the arm 33 will have been rocked by a disk 29and arm 4| will have been lowered into position to intercept the nexttooth 30a of the ratchet 30. This movement of the parts isdiagrammatically represented in Fig. 7 which indicates thetime at whichthe clutch picks up, which is substantially at the center of the periodof movement of the driven part of the Geneva, and consequently themovement of the brush takes place in the following eighteen degrees asindicated. The parts accordingly remain in the position shown in Fig. 13with the brush in engagement with the commutator segment until thesecond arm of the Geneva engages the next slot I5. This will cause thedisk 29 to be picked up and during the eighteen degree period indicated,brush 5| will be moved out of engagement with the commutator segment anddisengagement will occur at the point indicated. The ratchet 26 will,however, advance a further eighteen degrees to its rest position.

Tripping of the clutch through energization of magnets 44 may take placeduring the period of the cycle as indicated and may be brought about bymeans of a cam controlled pair of contacts 50 which may be operated by asuitable contact closing cam 6| carried on shaft l0. Thus, with sucharrangement, magnets 44 will be energized once each revolution of shaftl0 and following such tripping, the brushes will be shifted during theeighteen degree period as indicated to effect any desired circuitchange.

This circuit change will be maintained throughout the period indicatedas duration of circuit shift, at the end of which time, the circuitswill be changed back to normal again and the process repeated with thedisk 29 and the associated brush structure being advanced a tenth of arevolution for each revolution of the main shaft I].

Fig. 3 shows schematically a simple form of circuit with which thedevice may be employed. In this figure, one set of commutator segmentsis wired together and to positive side of a source of current supply,while the central set is individually connected to a set of lamps I0,and the right hand set is connected to a set of lamps II which haveconnection to the negative side of line. With the brushes normally inposition intermediate sections 53, no circuits are completed. Uponenergization of magnet 44, however, all of the brushes 5| will shift tomake connection between a left hand segment 53 and the other twosegments to cause the completion of circuits through all of the lamps.The subsequent automatic shifting of the brushes will thereafter breakall the circuits again and th lamps will become extinguished.

In Fig. 4 is shown the modified form of brush structure with brushes ofdifferent length employed to control a set of lamps 80 and a set oflamps 8|. In this arrangement, the two left hand sets of segments 53 arenormally engaged by the longer pair of brushes 5! and complete circuitsthrough the lamps 8|. Upon energization of magnet M, the brushes 5i willshift to disconnect the aforesaid circuit and bridge the pairs ofsegments 53 with the two right hand sets, thus completing circuitsthrough the lamps 80 and extinguishing the circuits through lamps 8i.

With this arrangement, the sets of circuits are alternately completed.In Fig. 4 is also shown a key controlled pair'of contacts 15 and aswitch 16 which, when the latter is open, permits energization of magnet44 only when the key 15 is depressed so that a shifting of the circuitsand their automatic restoration will only take place when the contactsI5 are closed. If switch 16 is closed, the operation will, of course,take place automatically and repeatedly.

While there has been shown and describedand pointed out the fundamentalnovel features of the invention as applied to a'single modification, itwill be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changesin the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operationmay be made by those skilled in the art without departing from thespirit of the invention. It is the intention therefore to be limitedonly as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A circuit changing mechanism comprising a constantly rotating shaft,a clutch driving element, driving connections between said element andsaid shaft to cause intermittent movement of said element, a drivenclutch element, clutching mechanism between said elements, a stationarycommutator having conducting segments, brushes carried by said drivenelement and arranged to cooperate with said segments and normally out ofcontact therewith, magnetically controlled means to cause clutching ofsaid elements to rotate said brushes into engagement with said segments,means controlled by said driven element to effect unclutching aftercontact is made and further means controlled by said driven element toeffect .re-clutching of said elements.

2. In a. circuit changing mechanism, a rotatable driving ratchet, meansfor intermittently driving said ratchet, a rotatable contactbruslastructure, a stationary commutator cooperating therewith, couplingmechanism for connecting said brush structure to said ratchet, electromagnetic means for effecting operation of said coupling mechanism andmeans connected with said brush structure for effecting uncoupling aftera predetermined movement of said brush structure.

I 3. In a circuit changing mechanism, a rotatstep rotation of saidratchet, a rotatable contact brush structure and a stationary commutatorcooperating therewith, electromagnetic means for causing couplingbetween said structure and said ratchet during each alternate step ofrotation of said ratchet, and means carried by said structure foreffecting uncoupling after a predetermined movement of said structure.

4. In a circuit changing mechanism, a rotatable driving ratchet, meansfor causing step-by-step rotation of said ratchet, a driven mechanismincluding a contact brush structure, a pawl carried by said mechanism, adisk coaxial with said mechanism and engaging said pawl to hold the sameout of engagement with said ratchet, means for causing said disk torelease said pawl for engagement with said driving ratchet and meanscontrolled by said driven mechanism after a predetermined movementthereof for causing disengagement of said pawl and ratchet.

5. In a device of the class described, a rotatable driving ratchet,means for causing step-by-step rotation of said ratchet, a drivenmechanism including a contact brush structure, a pawl carried by saidmechanism, a disk coaxial with said mechanism and engaging said pawl tohold the same out of engagement with said ratchet, means for normallyholding said mechanism and disk against rotation, means for effectingrelative rotation of said mechanism and disk and means effective uponsaid rotation for causing said pawl to engage said ratchet to rotatesaid mechanism.

6. In a. device of the class described, a rotatable driving ratchet,means for causing step-by-step rotation of said ratchet, a drivenmechanism including a contact brush structure, a pawl carried by saidmechanism, a disk coaxial with said mechanism and having a cammingsurface engaging said pawl to hold the latter out of engagement withsaid ratchet, means for normally holding said mechanism and disk againstrotation, means including said camming surface for causing relativerotation of said mechanism and disk and means effective upon saidrelative rotation for causing said pawl to engage said ratchet to rotatesaid mechanism.

7. In, a device of the class described, a rotatable driving ratchet,means for causing step-by-step rotation of said ratchet, a rotatablecontact brush structure, clutching mechanism between said ratchet andbrush structure, a magnet for controlling clutehing action, means forcausing said magnet to effect clutching during each alternate step ofrotation of said ratchet, and means controlled by the brush structurefor effecting unclutching after each step of movement.

8. In a device of the class described, a rotatable driving ratchet, aGeneva drive mechanism for effecting step-by-step movement of saidratchet and arranged to efiect a complete revolutionpf said ratchet in apredetermined number of steps, a rotatable contact brush structure,means for clutching said structure to said ratchet means for effectingunclutching and means for controlling the operations of clutching andunclutching to cause said structure to be advanced step by step so as tomake a half revolution for each complete revolution of said ratchet.

CLAIR D. LAKE. FRANCIS E. HAMILTON.

able driving ratchet, means for causing step-by-

